Ok, I've been searching around on the internet for cheap trays to use in beetle traps under screened bottom boards. Surfing the net doesn't yield much. I live in a rural area but hope to get up to Montgomery and hit a few of the large grocery stores and maybe a restaurant supply house.

I figure that there are other folks like me that are trying to find specific pan sizes/types for their application as well. I thought it might be a help other people if folks would post the size trays they are using, where they found them, and the approximate cost of them. It might save folks some wasted time and help them get on with their projects.

Anyhow, post away!!!! :)

Ed

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"We can't expect the American People to jump from Capitalism to Communism, but we can assist their elected leaders in giving them small doses of Socialism, until they awaken one day to find that they have Communism."..."The press is our chief ideological weapon." - Nikita Khrushchev

www.beeweather.comAmerican blood spilled to protect the freedom and peace of people all over the world. 320,000 USA casualties in WWI, 1,076,000 USA casualties in WWII, 128,000 USA casualties in the Korean War, 211,000 casualties in the Vietnam "conflict", 57,000 USA casualties in "War on Terror". Benghazi, Libya, 13 USA casualties. These figures don't include 70,000 MIA. But, the leaders of one political party of the United States of America continue to make the statement..."What difference does it make?".

"We can't expect the American People to jump from Capitalism to Communism, but we can assist their elected leaders in giving them small doses of Socialism, until they awaken one day to find that they have Communism."..."The press is our chief ideological weapon." - Nikita Khrushchev

Ed, don't know but have you tried the dollar stores and do you have a dirt cheap close to you, might find something at these stores. You may want to build a frame for your tray and put it under the bottom board. You will want the tray where the bees can't get in it. The pics of your BB looked like you don't have much space, I have 3/4 inch above and below, 3 sides on the top and 2 on bottom. So mine fit better on the concrete block I fix a 2 x 4 to bottom lips at the front and back.

Allen, those are *very* nice trays but tend to be a little on the high $$$ side. I'm hoping I can find some trays/pans cheaper...disposable tin chaffing pans should easily last a season...and to think I didn't even know what a chaffing pan was til I started keeping bees! :lol:

Joe, I wish I had a Dirt Cheap close by...closest one I know of is over in west Alabama probably 80-90 miles. I've cruised some of the dollar stores but haven't found much...but I ain't give up yet. ;) I only have 3/8" space above the cement blocks to work with so I'll probably be building a shim to go under the bottom board...I'll probably go with a 1x and that will give me a touch over an inch clearance. I know I can find a cookie sheet or shallow pan that will work.

I bent up some metal roofing and made a pan...nothing pretty. ;) It's very shallow, though. Here's a couple of shots of it in that narrow slot. I'm going to watch it and see if it fills with rainwater or not...and whether it catches beetles! :) It will also be interesting to see how the bees respond to most of the bottom board closed off. Ed

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www.beeweather.comAmerican blood spilled to protect the freedom and peace of people all over the world. 320,000 USA casualties in WWI, 1,076,000 USA casualties in WWII, 128,000 USA casualties in the Korean War, 211,000 casualties in the Vietnam "conflict", 57,000 USA casualties in "War on Terror". Benghazi, Libya, 13 USA casualties. These figures don't include 70,000 MIA. But, the leaders of one political party of the United States of America continue to make the statement..."What difference does it make?".

"We can't expect the American People to jump from Capitalism to Communism, but we can assist their elected leaders in giving them small doses of Socialism, until they awaken one day to find that they have Communism."..."The press is our chief ideological weapon." - Nikita Khrushchev

Aw, shoot yeah it's too shallow. I was just tinkering with getting something in that slot. There isn't hardly 1/4" depth there. I figure if anything hits the oil it greased unless a BP rescue team comes by...it's temporary but any beetles it gets in the meantime is good. I've already concluded that I've got to build a shim to go under the bottom boards to be able to slide a larger tray underneath. Those tray from Freeman are really nice, Allen, matter of fact the entire trap that they put out is nice...I'm just trying to cut some expense...and tinker a little bit. :)

Ed

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www.beeweather.comAmerican blood spilled to protect the freedom and peace of people all over the world. 320,000 USA casualties in WWI, 1,076,000 USA casualties in WWII, 128,000 USA casualties in the Korean War, 211,000 casualties in the Vietnam "conflict", 57,000 USA casualties in "War on Terror". Benghazi, Libya, 13 USA casualties. These figures don't include 70,000 MIA. But, the leaders of one political party of the United States of America continue to make the statement..."What difference does it make?".

"We can't expect the American People to jump from Capitalism to Communism, but we can assist their elected leaders in giving them small doses of Socialism, until they awaken one day to find that they have Communism."..."The press is our chief ideological weapon." - Nikita Khrushchev

First find a pan thats the right size, not worring about the height, then shim hive to fit. You have your blocks running down the side, I do mine across the front and back. Not that it makes any difference. But thats why I put a 2 x 4 on top of the blocks. Good luck with your quest,Ed. Theres a dirt cheap in Mobile, I think there is one in Waynesboro, and in Meridian. There are several around here.

I make my own. I use 1/8" Masonite and glue one-by strips cut 1/2" thick to form sides. Then a few coats of polyurethane to seal it. I make my own bottoms with a 3/4" slot for the tray to fit. I know this isn't practical for most people to do. I make all my own wooden-ware, including frames. I don't set up a hive with out an oil tray under it. SHB are horrible around here and the trays really help keep them in check.

www.beeweather.comAmerican blood spilled to protect the freedom and peace of people all over the world. 320,000 USA casualties in WWI, 1,076,000 USA casualties in WWII, 128,000 USA casualties in the Korean War, 211,000 casualties in the Vietnam "conflict", 57,000 USA casualties in "War on Terror". Benghazi, Libya, 13 USA casualties. These figures don't include 70,000 MIA. But, the leaders of one political party of the United States of America continue to make the statement..."What difference does it make?".

"We can't expect the American People to jump from Capitalism to Communism, but we can assist their elected leaders in giving them small doses of Socialism, until they awaken one day to find that they have Communism."..."The press is our chief ideological weapon." - Nikita Khrushchev

You might try cat litter boxes ($3 to $5 at Dollar General and such). They are practically the same size as beehive dimensions. I made my own screened bottoms based on Freeman design. 2 x 6 on sides with slot cut for tray to slide in tightly against screen. It also gives plenty of depth for however much oil you want to use, as well as, when not in place, enought room to smoke your hive without any wind blowing the smoke away.

One thing about oil trays that you need to keep in mind that they make great traps for the bees, especially when the bees are bearding during the night. Be sure they are bee tight. I make mine out of the 20" aluminum or galvanized steal that comes in 50 foot rolls for putting in roof valleys. The steal is better because it is stiffer. Jim

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One thing about oil trays that you need to keep in mind that they make great traps for the bees, especially when the bees are bearding during the night. Be sure they are bee tight. I make mine out of the 20" aluminum or galvanized steal that comes in 50 foot rolls for putting in roof valleys. The steal is better because it is stiffer. Jim

Definitely got to make them "bee tight". A close fit between them and the bottom board is a must. I had a malfunction on one of mine where I apparently didn't get a good bond with the epoxy...one of the "runners" came loose from the bottom of a tray. I simply slipped the "runner" back under the pan and thought that all was well. Apparently the front end of the runner wasn't under the tray and allowed that corner to drop down a grunt...result was about 50 dead bees in the oil. :( Learned my lesson!!! Make sure all is well and tight.

Jim, I wish I had the equipment to work with sheet metal. That makeshift tray shown a few messages above was made from one of the "hand crimpers"...that was just too much work there for the hands...a good metal brake would be nice!!! It was #26 roofing metal.

Ed

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www.beeweather.comAmerican blood spilled to protect the freedom and peace of people all over the world. 320,000 USA casualties in WWI, 1,076,000 USA casualties in WWII, 128,000 USA casualties in the Korean War, 211,000 casualties in the Vietnam "conflict", 57,000 USA casualties in "War on Terror". Benghazi, Libya, 13 USA casualties. These figures don't include 70,000 MIA. But, the leaders of one political party of the United States of America continue to make the statement..."What difference does it make?".

"We can't expect the American People to jump from Capitalism to Communism, but we can assist their elected leaders in giving them small doses of Socialism, until they awaken one day to find that they have Communism."..."The press is our chief ideological weapon." - Nikita Khrushchev

Hey Intheswamp,this is what I have been experimenting with to catch SHB, I posted once before about using baking trays/cookie trays which are readily available and cheap less than $2 each. The runners I use are cut down from a pre formed shelving called Clever Closet Hang track.(available at Bunnings to all you Aussie's)it works great with a perfect tray to runner fit.

Jim, I wish I had the equipment to work with sheet metal. That makeshift tray shown a few messages above was made from one of the "hand crimpers"...that was just too much work there for the hands...a good metal brake would be nice!!! It was #26 roofing metal.

Ed

Ed, Me too. :( I use a 2"X3"X24" piece of heart wood yellow pine clamping the metal to a jig and my work bench. The jig is just a wood box that is the size of the tray, just higher, 3"s, than the lip to allow for pounding. The biggest problem is that most of the time when I am poundthe metal down the metal moves. I tried double sided tape, the first one was too thick, caused problems bending the metal and the second one would not stick. I use another piece of yellow pine when I am pounding the metal to make the bend smooth. I use large C clamps but it still moves. When My neighbor, Jim is helping, he also holds the metal with the clamps and it works a lot better.Jim

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"If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed. If you do read the newspaper you are misinformed."--Mark Twain